Visiting Old Dubbo Gaol with kids
Our weekend trip to Dubbo included a visit to the Old Dubbo Gaol. The Old Dubbo Gaol is located right in the centre of the main street amongst the shops. We parked in the street that had two hour parking which was plenty of time to see the whole gaol. The gaol is opened 9am-4pm and you will need to allow an hour to experience the gaol. The cost of tickets can be found here.
Old Dubbo Gaol.
Old Dubbo Gaol History
The Old Dubbo gaol began holding prisoners in 1859 and closed its doors to prisoners in 1966. There were many escapes from the prison in the time it was utilised, which the kids loved reading about. With 8 prisoners hanged in the gaol the site for the hangings is still on display.
The entrance to the gaol is through a huge old door that is surrounded by the sandstone walls that are also in the gaol. The Old Dubbo Gaol is Heritage listed and it is kept in pristine condition.
Guided Tours
We followed the map around visiting the cell blocks and experiencing the size and darkness of the solitary confinement cell. The self-guided tour is easy to follow and there are many signs and descriptions explaining what each site was and how life was like for the prisoners and guards. There are other options that include a night tour and on weekends and school holidays there are re-enactments amongst the gaol grounds.
One of the cells in darkness.
The kids liked walking up to the Watchtower which has a great view of the gaol. Another interactive thing they liked was putting their hands and head in the stocks. Polly rang the beautifully restored prison bell when we left our tour.
Tommy in the stocks.
We had a great time experiencing this heritage site in Dubbo and recommend families to experience when they visit Dubbo.
Self Guided Tour.
After our time at the gaol we headed off for our adventure in The Western Plain Zoo which you can read about here.
Disclaimer: We were guests of the Dubbo Gaol through our working alongside Dubbo tourism. All opinions and experiences are our own.
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